Page 77 of The Passion

“Oh, just ignore him, Forrest, I do.” She waves his comment away like it’s nothing. I’m starting to understand. Nic is the boss, but Tori is the bossy sister to them all.

“You’re married to him, you can get away with it.” He continues out the back door, looking like he has a storm cloud over his head.

“Welcome, ladies.” Tori stands at the same time I jump up to hug Harper.

“You owe me, I need every detail later,” she whispers in my ear, and I let out a tiny giggle because this must be killing her. We normally share everything, and Flynn practically cut her out last night which is what she was afraid would start to happen when he came onto the scene. I’ll make it up to her later.

“Felisha, this is Cherie. She owns her own gym and is setting up a new charity with Rem and Elouise. Harper, I’m sure you already heard all about it on the car ride here. Anyway, we can talk more about that later. Time to head outside,” Tori fills me in as she is helping Elouise up out of her seat, and we all head outside to an amazing view of the fields and hills in the distance.

Cherie is not at all like Tori. She seems more reserved and has an athletic build, average height, with light brown hair. She’s dressed casually but still looks gorgeous, and I have a feeling she likes to just sink into the background in crowds. Time will tell as I get to know her more.

A little boy with dark curly hair, who I’m told is Blaise, Remington’s son, is busy running around with Syd and throwing the ball for him to chase, and the men are standing around a very impressive barbeque. Flynn and Nic, of course, are fussing over the food, and there are salads being retrieved out of the fridges in the outdoor kitchen and placed on the table by Rem and Forrest.

I’m in awe.

My father would never be involved in the food part of the entertaining. He would serve alcohol and talk business to the men, and that’s it. How times have changed in this world for the better.

Finally, we are seated, and Nic proposes a toast to friends, and everyone starts eating and the hum of conversation is the most glorious noise I have ever heard.

Laughter, banter, and just pure happiness. No business talk, and it’s like they live a different life when they get out here to the farm.

I’m envious for the simplicity they have all managed to find.

Cherie, who looks super fit from always working out in her gym, seems to be everyone’s friend. She’s seated next to me and isn’t afraid to give each of the guys their fair share of sass.

Flynn explained that she is helping Elouise and Rem head up a new charity for kids, so although we aren’t talking shop, I’m fascinated and ask her questions on the whole project.

Not wanting to overstep, and I will speak to Flynn about it later, but I would love to help. Obviously, it’s their thing, but it sounds like a perfect place to donate money. I grew up in such a privileged life; if I can pay it forward to help others, it would make me happy.

As much as I want to switch off, when you have a business the size of ours, you’re still on call twenty-four hours a day. My phone in my pocket has been buzzing, and as much as I want to ignore it, I can’t. There are a few messages, but the phone calls are my father, and he just keeps calling. Flynn can see my phone and puts his arm around me and pulls me closer.

“It’s okay if you need to take it. We all understand. But if you want to ignore it, I’ll happily go and throw it into the lake.” I know he is trying to make light of the heaviness every time I have to talk to my father, but it’s not really helping.

“Sorry, excuse me.” I stand up and walk away from the table and around the corner of a large bush to hide myself from all the prying eyes. I know they don’t mean to, but they are curious what I’m doing.

As I finally get out of sight, the phone starts ringing again so I answer this time.

“I’ve told you never to ignore my calls.” My father’s voice roars down the phone, and it scares me with the anger in it. I know we haven’t been super close over the years, but up until a few months ago, we worked well together and could have conversations without any hostility even when we didn’t agree. But something has changed, and I just feel sick to my stomach at the way he treats me now. It’s getting worse as we get closer to my birthday.

“Would you like me to answer you while I’m on the toilet?” I don’t care I’m lying to him.

“Don’t be so vulgar, Felisha. I don’t need to know where you were. What has gotten into you lately? No daughter of mine would say things like that to her father.

I’m not in the mood to stand here and listen to whatever he is calling to chastise me about this time.

“What do you want?” I get straight to the point.

“I just got a phone call from The Sun newspaper for a statement to confirm your engagement to Fulton Anderson. I told you to stay away from that man.”

“What the fuck!” I yell as he continues yelling at me.

“He is trouble, and instead you go out last night and look like the hussy you are in front of people with high standing in our city. And then to find out you are engaged from a newspaper because you didn’t have the decency to inform me or have him ask my permission. I’m utterly disgusted and will not approve of this marriage.”

“I don’t give a fuck if you approve or not because there is no engagement. Who the hell told them that?” Hearing footsteps behind me, I know my yelling will have brought Flynn rushing to me, and Harper is probably beside him.

“He did.” My father’s voice both takes my breath away and makes me want to vomit all at once.

What the hell is happening?

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